Worst Course Ever?

[Mike Benham]

There was a course towards the south side of San Jose, which was grazed over for housing a while back. I played in a beer-related mess in college there (the infamous SC Classic). Unfortunately, we won, which by default means that I cannot remember so much as the name of the place . As with other catastrophes, I still get flashbacks. If someone can help with the name of the place, and confirm my nightmares it would be appreciated.

OAK RIDGE!

Site of many Bronco beer rounds long before you, oh young one.

I shed few tears when it died, other than for the tee times that became unavailable there, and elsewhere.
 

Oh my, the former home of the Bronco Bench Invitational which had the distinction of having more palm trees (50 or 60) then Oak Trees (0).  Pieracci and I let our team to victory more then once on this track ... Rest in peace !!!

[Martin Del Vecchio]

That 14 hole course was in Framingham I think. I played it many times in high school. Cannot remember the name of it...

Looks like it's Millwood Golf Course, in Framingham.  The MGA site says it has 14 holes. 

However, there are several sites that refer to Millwood Farms Golf Course, at the same address, as a 9-hole executive course.  Maybe they sold off the other 5 holes?

Anyway, that's literally all I remember about the course; it had 14 holes.  So I couldn't even say whether it belongs in the "worst course ever" conversation.

[Criss Titschinger]

Fernbanks in Cincinnati; where the fairways actually cross in an 'X', and sanity only makes you laugh!

Doug

This one gets my vote as well.  If you can actually call their fairways, fairways.  Or the par 3 that's like 180 yards and completely blind with OB just off the green.  Played there once because others said I had to see it to believe it.  Well, it certainly left an impression

[Mike_Cirba]

No offense Steve V., but if you can seriously nominate either Pickering Valley or the now defunct Valley Forge on this thread, you simply need to get out and see more horrible golf courses.

Neither is even close to the worst course ever.   Get thee to Country Club of The Poconos at Big Ridge, and then say 10 Hail Mary's for your grievous sins.

[Kalen Braley]

I am saddened that a discussion that includes bad bay area golf references has not included Moraga Country Club. The back nine might be the strangest attemp at GCA that I have ever seen. As Gib put it, it's so bad it's good -- possibly genius.

Hey Jeff:

Ironically, I just played Moraga CC two days ago.  I have a friend who's a member there and I've played it several times over the last few years.  And I do recall Gib's assessment of it... and others concurring with that, including you - and me!

Well... I do think it's a course that grows on one over time.  Now it's never going to be any model of fine golf course architecture, nor is it ever going to be everyone's cup of tea.  It remains quite severe, and some of the greens and green sites are comical.  BUT... what it forces one to do is THINK, and be quite precise with one's play.  I truly have found that the more I play it, the more I like it!  It's just a course that does for the most part take driver out of play, and punishes wayward shots severely.  But once one comes to accept that and learns where to play the tee shots, and where to aim the approach shot, well... it is pretty doable and yes, fun!  The course is very short, so driver isn't really needed.  And if one can't hit the green targets with the succession of wedges one has, well... one has little right to complain.

Oh, there are bad holes there for sure, and yes, all are on the back nine.  But there are great holes too... 9 is fantastic, 18 is pretty darn good, and there's quirk all over the place.

My new, better informed take?  It's a pretty decent golf course.  I wouldn't mind being a member there at all.  But I do defy anyone to love it at first play.

TH

Tom,

Your preceding description sounds just like many of the holes at The Ranch.  Are you sure you just didn't steal those words from a prior review and stick em on this thread to confuse the hell out of everyone?

Do we need to sick Shivas on you for a GCA.com hypocrisy thread?    

[Kyle Henderson]

What's the worst golf course you have ever played (and why?)

My nominations are Summitpointe in Milpitas, CA for it's incredibly bad front nine routing on the side of a hill-from my somewhat faded memory it seemed like all the fairways sloped either left to right or right to left about 45%.  I can't say anything about the back because I never got that far.

My other nomination is Sunol-I've played there twice in my life, both in industry tournaments that took 6 hours, and just hated the routing and conditioning.  I don't think anyone actually chooses to play Sunol, they just go there for a tournament.

I think 45% is a bit of an exagerration at Summitpointe, but not far off target.

Which course do you believe to be the worst at Sunol, Cypress or Palm?

[John Keenan]

Judging how long a course takes to play based on a tournament (best ball) business/industry/charity event is not a real indication of a course. I have played both Palm and Cypress many times walked them and it never took anything near that long.

Event golf with closet to the pin, buy a mulligan and so on is not an indication of anything. Even starting on the the 4th hole or what ever throws off the entire round and impression of the course.

[Brad Tufts]

New Hampshire Division:

Waukewan GC.....short, ugly, claustrophobic both in width and the fact you should be wearing a helmet while playing...a few interesting spots, but interesting in a "WHAT THE.....?" manner.

[Tim Leahy]

For the Bay Area bunch, I have played most of those listed as worst ever and although they did have bad holes, most had some redeeming value, yes even The Ranch and The Bridges.
However one not mentioned was Shoreline in Sunnyvale, I think. I cannot remember a single hole on that boring useless course and I spent 6 hours on it on a weekend.
But I think we still have the Bay Area beat here in Sactown. We have two contenders for the worst course ever in Cherry Island and Bartley Cavanaugh. BC is the most dangerous course in America, built on a square plot of land not intended for an 18 hole "championship" course, but surrounded by open available land. Large mounds were built to hide the tightness of the course which causes errant shots to whiz past your head on multiple holes. BC includes a 56 yard island green par three, what's the point?
Cherry Island has more incourse OB than I have ever seen on a course not surrounded by housing. Forced layup holes using natural hazards for no reason completely frustrate anyone who hits the ball more that 200 yds off the tee. The property at CI had potential with grand old oaks and some barrancas but was completely misused.

[Mike Golden]

Judging how long a course takes to play based on a tournament (best ball) business/industry/charity event is not a real indication of a course. I have played both Palm and Cypress many times walked them and it never took anything near that long.

Event golf with closet to the pin, buy a mulligan and so on is not an indication of anything. Even starting on the the 4th hole or what ever throws off the entire round and impression of the course.

I didn't say that it always takes 6 hours, I just said it took me that long both times I played there in industry tournaments.  I honestly don't remember anything about either course other than I hated playing there and would never choose to go back on my own.  I had played there in 1970 once and as it was so long ago have no memory of the course(s) other than it was before the 680 was built so we had to drive through local roads to get there.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim:

Oh man, I play Shoreline fairly often... I guess I can understand your distaste for it having played one 6 hour round there, but I've played many 3.5 hour rounds there myself, and I must say I'd play it 50 times for every one time at The Ranch or The Bridges.  Shoreline has conditioning issues for sure, but it's a very interesting layout, with decent prices.  Holes 10-11-12, going around and over the lake, are pretty darn great.  17 is a VERY strong par three also... 3 is a wonderful short par 4... 5 another cool par 3 over a lake... 9 a damn fun risk/reward short par five... I could go on.  I really like the course.

I'll take your word for it re Cherry Island and Bartley Kavanaugh, though!

TH

[Mike Golden]

Tim:

Oh man, I play Shoreline fairly often... I guess I can understand your distaste for it having played one 6 hour round there, but I've played many 3.5 hour rounds there myself, and I must say I'd play it 50 times for every one time at The Ranch or The Bridges.  Shoreline has conditioning issues for sure, but it's a very interesting layout, with decent prices.  Holes 10-11-12, going around and over the lake, are pretty darn great.  17 is a VERY strong par three also... 3 is a wonderful short par 4... 5 another cool par 3 over a lake... 9 a damn fun risk/reward short par five... I could go on.  I really like the course.

I'll take your word for it re Cherry Island and Bartley Kavanaugh, though!

TH

I'll second Huck's opinion here, I played Shoreline very often in the late 80's-early 90's and, except for the coots, usually enjoyed my rounds there.  I've never played #18 after the green was redone in the mid-90's so don't know what it looks like now.  I always played very early (first group out on Sat and Sun) so got used to 3+ hour rounds there as well.

[Tom Huckaby]

Mike - 18 green is a lot less severe than what you remember - it was flattened a lot.  It's still darn tough, but not the monster you remember.  That is one damn tough hole... not a good one to come to needing 4 or 3.

[Mike Golden]

Mike - 18 green is a lot less severe than what you remember - it was flattened a lot.  It's still darn tough, but not the monster you remember.  That is one damn tough hole... not a good one to come to needing 4 or 3.

Huck,

Didn't they extend the green forward and reshape it significantly?

[Kalen Braley]

Tim:

Oh man, I play Shoreline fairly often... I guess I can understand your distaste for it having played one 6 hour round there, but I've played many 3.5 hour rounds there myself, and I must say I'd play it 50 times for every one time at The Ranch or The Bridges.  Shoreline has conditioning issues for sure, but it's a very interesting layout, with decent prices.  Holes 10-11-12, going around and over the lake, are pretty darn great.  17 is a VERY strong par three also... 3 is a wonderful short par 4... 5 another cool par 3 over a lake... 9 a damn fun risk/reward short par five... I could go on.  I really like the course.

I'll take your word for it re Cherry Island and Bartley Kavanaugh, though!

TH

I'll 3rd Toms statement.  I've played it once and while it wasn't a favorite, I thought it was interesting especially the back 9 and agreed on the 10-12 stretch.  If they could just figure out how to get the geese off the course, conditions would be a lot better I suspect.